Q: Left it too late to book a reasonable hotel in NY for october, only getting shared bathrooms and hostels that we can afford, so we are left with booking somewhere in the outer areas. Is it better/safer to stay in Long Island or Queens, or have I missed another option? I am comfortable in New York, but want to be able to use the subway, but traveling as a woman alone, I want to feel safe, never stayed outside Manhattan before. Thanks x
A: Don't laugh, the Hilton in downtown Newark. It is safe, well lit and you won't feel creepy coming back at night. It's a really nice hotel and attached to Newark Penn Station, which is were the PATH train is (also Amtrak and NJ Transit). PATH is a subway system which runs from NJ into NYC. You can either take it to the WTC location at the south tip of NYC or to 33rd Street and 6th Avenue in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The line that takes you into midtown also has stops in Greenwich Village. The PATH pass/ticketing works in tandem with the NYC system. The average rate is well below what it costs in the city and closer/more convenient than Queens or Long Island. Plus nicer hotel for the money compared to those two as well.